What is so special about buying another base pin for your single action revolver? What do they improve. I have a BFR in 454. Is there one made for my handgun?

It tighten up the play in the cylinder for my SBH. With all the little things I have done, it has cut my group size more than in half at 25 yards.

Leave the BFR alone.
Most times a gun that is too tight is not good but the BFR is right.
Too many want all play removed from a cylinder but that can cause off center wear at the cone and rifling if the boolit is not allowed to move the cylinder.
I had a Freedom here with one side of the cone worn away, the rifling on that side almost gone and the throats worn oblong because the gun was too tight and timing was off.
This gun was only fired about 300 times.

The throats were under size and needed reamed. Notice the dark spots where the reamer did not touch. Each chamber had this spot at the same place but just a little different meaning each throat was a little different in alignment. Each chamber shoots a different place on the target.
I finally repaired it to shoot 1" at 50 yards but it took a lot of work.
Leave a good gun alone.

I made a mold for my old SBH and shot three shots just for a drop test at 200 yards with a 75 yard setting. This gun was used to win Ohio IHMSA with 79 out of 80 and has over 61,000 heavy loads through it plus uncounted light loads. The gun has zero wear and measures the same as when I bought it. I use STP on the pin, cylinder front and the ratchet.

I had to sight my BFR in at 50 yards with my other boolit, a 420 gr WFN. I took three shots, moved the Ultra Dot and shot the last two. This is what a BFR can do! It and my other one in 45-70 plus all that my friends own have shot many groups under 1" at 100 yards.
Do you REALLY want to fool with a BFR?

The hole in the top of this can has 5 shots through it with a BFR. The other holes are from a friends rifle. The can was shot at 100 yards.

I don't think you will improve anything on your BFR - however, if you're launching base pins from your BFR, I would think the cause may be you're not seating your base pin locking screw.

Never seen/heard of a base pin launching with a Bowen style lock screw, which I know comes standard with the 454 BFR, as I own one.

On your standard Ruger – your base pin might launch if the base pin latch is not fitted properly to the pin.

Do keep the front & rear of your cylinder lightly lubed - a film of Breakfree CLP will do as will STP or a light grease such as "Jardine's Extreme" that I use on 1911's.

http://www.beltmountain.com/

I didn't mean I was going to do anything with my BFR, I just wasnted to learn something new. Sorry if I gave you folks the wrong impression. I do appreciate the information which is what I wanted. Thanks.

If it works, don't fix it. I have a Bisley that is fairly loose, yet it shoots lights out. I was told not to tighten up a Ruger too much so it is what it is.

Never tighten a revolver too much. It only takes a few thousandths play.
You are so correct and you are on top of it.

When i bought my Dan Wesson 44mag last spring i told the dealer he should take some off the price because the gun was loose as hell. He picked it up and looked it over then handed it back to me and said, "young man this revolver will probably out shoot anything else on the shelf, aint nothin wrong with it" He was right it shoots dang good.

Many take me wrong with my posts. I might be a little nuts wanting revolvers to out shoot rifles but I have found it is possible. Been at it for about 56 years. I want everyone to do the same and only offer suggestions from what I found.
Side play in a cylinder measured at the lock notch is best at .006" but remember that gets less as you measure to the center.
There should be a slight movement up and down at the pin too.
End play should be only enough so when the gun gets hot, it does not bind.
I am only talking a few thousandths here and there but you will feel it and worry over it. Don't! The worst is a super tight gun with zero motion in any direction. Unless that gun has .000001" perfection, you will get severe wear and it is FAST.
I admit to being surprised at how fast bullets can ruin a gun. Yet the revolver that is right can last hundreds of years.
Just maybe my friends and I shoot the smallest groups at all ranges to 500 meters with revolvers then anyone ever has done and on a consistent basis. I once had 4 out of 5 shots in 2-1/2" at 500 yards. I have shot hundreds of sub 1" groups at 100 yards.
I want to give all the information, it is not an ego trip or bragging, it is to help everyone. If I can make someone reduce group size by 1/4" I feel good. I HAVE to show groups but I have been called a liar and kicked off the Single Action site---small loss.
Just bear with me and try things out of the box. You are friends and let us keep it that way. Every thing I have is yours and I am not done learning myself.

430 Man, your knowledge experience is vast, there is no question of that. You have had VERY good success with your handguns. You just come across very adamantly! LOL

Sorry if I do. I just want everyone to test and test again and to never believe anything in print until you see it for yourself.
I am not a gun writer pushing products and do not make a dime. Magazines years ago had good writers that would test and work, like Ken Waters but today, they just push products even if bad. Today I call them gun comics. Fancy pictures, zero information. Factory loads at 25 yards or less.
I don't care what revolver you have, I have tried to explain that unless there is something wrong with the gun, what you do at the loading bench will really make your gun shoot better. Remember that the revolver must adjust itself first. You have 5, 6 or more chambers and no machining in the world can make them the same. Line boring is not the answer because it is done before the barrel is installed, is it perfect? Are the tools screwed into the frame perfect?
Here is just one of many tests done with a super tight line bored revolver shooting one chamber at a time at 50 yards.

Then 5 shots at 50 yards with a cheap Ruger Vaquero.

Guys, I am not pulling your legs. Leave a good gun alone and never try to make it too tight. Make the tight gun looser.

That is the reason I load and shoot every possible variable I can down a barrel when I am doing loading development. I don’t argue with what shoots, I just keep loading it.

That is why we reload.
But first of all is safety---above all else.
I recently seen a picture of a .500 X frame blown up with a published or recommended load of TiteGroup. (It is at Cast boolits.) It can get scary with new powders so stay with what you are used to and what is proven.
It scares me, it really does, that some things in print can hurt you or destroy a gun. I don't ever want to see anyone hurt.